I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved display systems for holding display graphics including panels, photomurals, banners, signs or the like in tension and in a generally upright, but angularly adjustable, position and particularly to a collapsible lightweight system that is easily assembled with the item to be displayed or collapsed for transport or storage. The display system can be used indoors as a stand alone support or outdoors with a stake-down system or stabilizing counter weights.
II. Related Art
There often exists a need to provide a temporary or portable device for displaying a photomural or other information carrying banner or sign that is readily deployed to support and display a relatively large sign and yet can be collapsed into a lightweight, easily carried compact form for transport and storage. Such a device would find advantageous use in retail sales displays, trade shows, fairs, lawn signs or the like to provide a variety of information to those in view of it. Certain types of signs have been devised that are portable and at least to some extent collapsible.
One type of collapsible, multi-faceted, self-supporting systems with opposed displays is shown by Zeigler (U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,841) in which panels are held together in a back-to-back arrangement. Other collapsible systems are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,498 to Perutz et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,126 to Sorenson et al. Scissor connectors are used to interconnect a plurality of vertical frame units in Weinrub et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,112).
While existing devices have certain attributes and provide a degree of flexibility and portability in display signs, there remains a need for a lightweight, durable, fully collapsible system that deploys from a knock-down transport or storage state to accommodate a variety of banners or photo-murals readily. There also exists a need for such a system in which a plurality of different banners or murals can be interchangeably displayed in a variety of combinations of multiple panels using the same frames to form a variety of larger multiple-frame displays of various configurations. There also would be an advantage if the size of the display frame could be varied to accommodate a variety of display sizes.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a versatile, lightweight, durable, readily deployed, readily collapsible display support system for a banner or photomural display panel that combines in a variety of configurations to accommodate a variety of banners.
A further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, durable, readily deployed, readily collapsible display support system for a plurality of banner or photomural display panel units in which a variety of banners or photomurals can readily be accommodated on panels joined together in a manner that enables at least some individual panels to be pivoted relative to each other to form triangles, winged shapes and any number of other display shapes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a multi-panel display support system in which the posture of any display panel is variable and easily adjusted.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a collapsible self-supporting display panel unit of adjustable size.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a display panel support system that is relatively rugged and economical.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, durable, readily deployed, readily collapsible display support system for a plurality of banner or photomural display panels in which the banners or photomurals can be displayed in one or more directions.
A yet still further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight, durable, readily deployed, readily collapsible display support system for a plurality of banner or photomural display panels in which the banners or photomurals can be displayed a single direction consecutively in line.
Other objects and advantages associated with the display panel support system of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon further consideration of this specification, drawings and appended claims.
The present invention provides compact, lightweight, self-contained support systems that are easily deployed to carry and support one or more photomurals, banners, signs or the like under tension and that readily collapse to rather small sizes for transport and storage. As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9cbannerxe2x80x9d or panel or photomural, etc. are defined to include all possible types of display articles susceptible of mounting using the support system of the invention.
The display support systems of the invention may take a variety of forms using relatively few interchangeable parts making them extremely versatile and easy to manufacture. The system may be constructed of segments of strong, light weight aluminum alloy tube connected using slip fittings, connecting hub devices and other unique parts. Other materials including other metals and polymeric materials or fiberglass may also be used for the rod segments. Connectors and hub devices may be machined from metals or made of any dimensionally stable material including cast, molded or otherwise processed polymer materials such as polyamides, for example. Successful parts here been made from various nylons.
In some cases, portions of the rods or other parts may be of solid construction. The parts may be snap-fit together using a variety of fittings. However, the panel support systems or individual units are generally made up of a plurality of hollow tube segments connected by one or more internal resilient cord (bungee) systems that allow easy assembly and disassembly (knock down) for transport or storage in a relatively small container. The support units can be sized to carry one or more rectangular banners of any size or shape or a banner of any other configuration capable of being tensioned between such spaced parallel tubes. The system is very light weight and, for example, a single 4xe2x80x2xc3x978xe2x80x2 banner support of aluminum alloy may weigh less than a pound.
One single-banner embodiment incorporates a pair of spaced hollow mounting tubes which carry opposite edge loops of the banner threaded over the tubes. In an assembled system, the banner is carried on and between the mounting rods, spaced apart, the banner held in tension by a pair of hollow strut members crossed to form an X-bracing arrangement. The struts are made up from a plurality of slip-fit sections which combine to form elongated flexible tubular members which, when assembled in place, cross behind the banner and hold the mounting tubes in spaced parallel relation the flexible rods being somewhat longer than the transversal distance of the assembled structure and so assuming a bowed shape when connected to the mounting tubes. Both ends of each of the flexible struts of the X-bracing include terminal pins which are designed to be accommodated in openings in corresponding resiliently held hub members slip fitted into the ends of the spaced hollow mounting rod members. The openings in the hubs are elongated toward the surface to accommodate the struts over a range of angles between hub and strut. The X-bracing flexible strut members themselves are adjustably constrained at the intersection where they cross behind the banner by a central strap or loop member which allows relative displacement of the intersection along the X-bracing strut members.
Each hub end of one hollow mounting tube member, i.e., the one which carries the lower edge loop of the banner, and becomes the lower hollow mounting rod member in the combined structure, is also resiliently connected to one end of one of a pair of hollow base tube members, the other ends of which converge to intersect and form the legs of an isosceles triangle support base with the lower mounting tube member. The intersection of the base legs is connected by a hollow stabilizing tube member, of one or a plurality of slip fit sections, with the strap surrounding the intersection of the X-bracing strut members to complete and stabilize the mounting structure. Adjustment of the posture of the connecting rod relative to the base triangle correspondingly adjusts the posture of the banner.
The X-bracing tubular struts, particularly in larger models, are preferably made up of plurality of sequentially connected slip jointed tube segments tensioned by a resilient internal cord member of the type commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cbungeexe2x80x9d cords connected between end pins that are fit into the ends of each of the X-bracing struts as assembled. As stated, the converging base tube members and connecting strut member are also connected together utilizing a loop of resilient cord material which passes in a loop around the strap connecting the X-bracing intersection and extends through the stabilizing tube member segments as a pair of resilient cords, each of which is thereafter separately threaded through one of the base tube members to a terminal eyelet larger than the internal diameter of the base tube member and designed to be captured by the corresponding pin of the X-bracing strut tube when it is assembled in the hub opening in the corresponding hub in the lower mounting tube member.
In this manner, the system can easily be disassembled and assembled by applying tension to pull the connections apart at the hub or along the resilient connecting cords. As with the pins terminating the strut members of the X-bracing, the hubs at the ends of the upper and lower mounting rods may also be held in place by a common connecting resilient cord member attached to inside eyelets provided therein. The network of cords provides sufficient tension to stabilize the assembled unit and enough resistance to allow easy disassembly. The multiple segments of the X-bracing tubular struts readily fold when pulled apart and the connecting rod member segments readily fold with the base members. The banner or mural may be folded while still on the mounting rods or separately and the whole assembly readily stored in a carrying case or tube.
In still other embodiments of single banner units, both the mounting members and the X-bracing struts are constructed to have adjustable lengths. They may be constructed using a co-axial telescoping arrangement so that the lengths of both can be adjusted and banners in a range of sizes can be accommodated on a single mounting device. The telescoping arrangement of the invention also enables mounting tubes and bracing struts to be locked in at any desired length in the range available so that once adjusted the system can be tightened and fixed in place for a particular size banner or mural and, thereafter, changed to accommodate another size as desired.
The triangle base may, optionally, be a removable snap-on support base including members which connect to form a triangle with the lower mounting member and a vertical strut (which may also telescope) connected at the top to the intersection of the X-brace as by a snap-on, snap-together hub and at the bottom to the intersection of the base members using a 3-way connector. The snap-on hub may replace a strap member in any embodiment and any telescoping (adjustable) or fixed unit can be provided with a removable triangle base in another embodiment.
The triangular base, single banner display embodiments readily convert into a continuous-line multi-banner display by simply changing the hub members in the mounting rods from single ended, single port to double ended, double port hubs that accommodate two strut members. In this manner, as many consecutive banners or photomurals or the like as desired can be aligned and locked together, possibly as elements of a much larger picture or display. Each end mural and if desired each consecutive mural may be supported on a triangular base so that the entire length is self-stabilized.
The display system may be arranged using a parallelogram or rectangular construction with banners or panels in spaced back-to-back arrangements as two or four banner rectangular system. Alternatively, in another conceptual aspect, an A-frame arrangement mounts a dual sided looped banner using a single top mounting member and spaced lower mounting members held together with a single X-brace set. This arrangement resembles the conventional xe2x80x9csandwich boardxe2x80x9d in shape. Units may also form consecutively joined rectangular arrangements with back-to-back banners in which the individual systems join at the ends of the banner rods much in the manner of the triangular base systems. The rectangular configuration is stable in an upright position or on its side as a table or table-top display. Combinations of all types may be constructed to form bridges or other configurations.
In still other configurations, individual, single banner units can be joined together using a hinged swivel arrangement in a variety of configurations with or without triangular support bases. In this manner, as many consecutive units as desired can be arranged side by side in self-supporting configurations.
The stability of the X-brace configuration further allows mounting as by clamping the X intersection over itself to a mounting pedestal for a variety of uses. One such use is a tripod mount that allows adjustment of a mural to be used as a photo background, reflective screen or the like.